22 February 2024

Jafar Akhavan Moossavi, a member of our Governing Body, who has contributed to EMCC over many years in the areas of higher education, and diversity and inclusion, talks about his involvement with EMCC UK, and why he became a Governor.

Tell us a little about yourself.

I have been an independent coach, mentor and supervisor for well over 25 years, working and supporting public, government and non-government, private, trade union, third sector and not for profit organisations in the civil society space. I identify as a Londoner and work across the UK and internationally. My practice is underpinned by social, environmental and economic justice imperatives in pursuit of a fairer and more equitable, diverse and inclusive world. I have always held a broad portfolio of volunteering engagements. I regard this as an important element in an active global citizen’s palette.

Why did you become an EMCC UK Governor?

I strongly believe that good and inclusive governance is an essential ingredient and asset that enables organisations to achieve their purpose and serve their stakeholders. It helps create a transparent, authentic, ethical, accountable, lawful, financially prudent, supportive and responsible framework, by which all aspects of organisational life can be accounted for, justified, assessed and evaluated. Effective governing bodies act as impartial critical friends to the organisations they serve.

I have championed and promoted good governance throughout my professional career. It has informed and guided my work as a senior leader, governor, trustee, board member and chair of governors. I developed and delivered a series of pioneering and fully funded governance development programmes in the late 1990s that created peer learning spaces for non-governmental and major City of London private sector organisations.

Why is EMCC UK membership important to you?

I have been an active member of a number of national and international membership organisations. When they work well, they co-create an energising, dynamic, diverse and dedicated environment to meet the needs and ambitions of their members. They will also make positive contributions to the wider landscape through creating purposeful connections and networks both internally and externally.

Do you have any particular areas of interest in EMCC UK?

I was one of the founding members of the EMCC UK Education forum. In this role I was able to bring together a team of colleagues from across the UK’s university and higher education sector dedicated to promoting coaching, mentoring and supervision. Our work culminated in a series of immensely successful and profitable EMCC UK annual conferences.

I have advocated for and championed a more diverse and inclusive EMCC. I was able to lead a group of international EMCC colleagues dedicated to moving this agenda forward. We developed the first EMCC Global declaration and framework, informed by good coaching, mentoring and supervision practice, providing a flexible and contextual approach to promoting diversity and inclusion. I was able to engage with our EMCC Global colleagues via a series of webinars, presentations, workshops and forums, including a subsequent Global conference dedicated to the theme of diversity and inclusion.

I have been attending EMCC UK’s Third Sector forum as a Governor, and look forward to engaging with others.

What is the Governing body currently working on?

The Governing body’s main role is to represent the voice, interests, concerns and ambitions of our members. We aim to do this by co-creating, with our executive board colleagues, a trusting and mutually respectful space where governors – constitutionally and on behalf of members – hold directors to account. We strive to exercise a healthy balance of challenge and support, while honouring the constitutional and legal boundaries between the two distinct and complementary roles. Individual Governor members are currently engaged in nurturing closer alignments with individual executive board members.

Our Governing Body – find out more about the EMCC UK Governors